


And The Next

by 425_ThePerfectDate



Category: Warrior Nun (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Pining, Romance, Very light swearing? rated teen in case, jealous beatrice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:33:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25484005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/425_ThePerfectDate/pseuds/425_ThePerfectDate
Summary: Beatrice had prepared herself to love Ava quietly from afar. She had long accepted that Ava was going to date and, eventually, fall in love with a man worthy of her.But then Ava starts dating a woman and all of Beatrice's preparation goes out the window.
Relationships: Sister Beatrice/Ava Silva
Comments: 76
Kudos: 593





	1. You Know Why

**Author's Note:**

> Basically this is what if Beatrice never considered the possibility that Ava could be queer. What happens once she finally dates a woman?
> 
> And Yes I love me some jealousy and yearning and pining.

“What’s your problem?” Ava demands as she slams the door to Beatrice’s room shut.

Beatrice sees the pain and frustration in her face.  _ Dammit _ . One look at her hurt, pleading eyes, and Beatrice already feels an apology forming at the tip of her tongue. But to apologize was to admit something was wrong; and to admit something was wrong was to be vulnerable. And Beatrice can not and will not be vulnerable. Not about this.

-

It had been a year and a half since Ava joined the OCS. Since joining, they had managed to lure Adriel through a portal and trap him in another dimension. The mission was complete… or so they thought. Unfortunately, Adriel had activated centuries-old artifacts the moment he was released from the tomb. These artifacts had the power to release demons. Thus the OCS’ new mission was to travel around the world in search of them, and to destroy them. 

The sister warriors had split up. Mary and Lilith were currently scouring the Middle East, while Ava and Beatrice took on Southern Europe. Camila remained at Cat’s Cradle as mission control.

The missions bode Ava well. As they were primarily on a search and recovery mission, there were _slightly_ less dangers, and Ava had the opportunity to do what she had always wanted since getting a new lease on life-- she had the opportunity to _live._ She was able to travel. Try new food. See new sights. And date. She looked forward to dating.

Beatrice was “happy” for her. Yet she was also keenly aware of how it brought her so much pain… and it did not get easier as time went on. The more moments they spent together, the closer they bonded, the more it hurt seeing Ava spend time with anyone other than her. 

First there was Matteo, whom they met in a hostel in Genoa. Then there was Henri from Nice, then Nico from Athens, and a few more in between. Some relationships lasted between a few weeks, some over within a date or two. With every relationship Beatrice was supportive, but she was never welcoming. Most of Ava’s partners just chalked it up to nuns being stereotypically cold; even if Ava knew there was something else. 

The cycle went on as follows. Ava would meet a guy. They would date. Beatrice would be cold, yet civil. It went on.

Until Teresa. 

They sat side by side in the city’s public library, their knees occasionally touching. A part of her wished Ava did that on purpose; but maybe it was _her_ knees that travelled too far to the right. Either way, it felt nice. Ava was getting a bit jittery from all the research when she reached over and started writing on Beatrice’s notepad. 

“What are you doing?” Beatrice asked as Ava merely hummed. Her hand retreated to reveal a smiley face and the word “hi”. 

“Hi to you too,” Beatrice whispered with a smile.

“Going to the bathroom.” Ava wiggled her eyebrows playfully, “Don’t miss me too much.”

Beatrice let out a small chuckle. “I’m sure I’ll manage,” she said as Ava rose from her seat. 

Her eyes followed Ava retreating when she noticed a woman eyeing her as well. She didn’t look suspicious or dangerous in any way. If she had to take a wild guess, she would clock her for a grad student writing her thesis, with the way books piled on the desk, her laptop full of band stickers plugged onto a socket, and an almost empty cup of iced coffee, dripping of condensation, by her. But there was something about how she smiled and the way Ava smiled back, that she didn’t like.

Moments later, the girl stood up headed over to where Ava went to. Beatrice's heart pounded in her chest. Careful to not cause a scene, she stood up.

 _Was this woman a spy? Was she sent to kill Ava? Was there someone out there after the halo?_

Beatrice weaves through desks, people, and shelves. A million possibilities of fighting styles and counter movies cross through her mind. 

_Was this woman light on her feet? Would she be armed?_

The bathroom door was a few meters away. There was nothing out of the ordinary, no noises, or screams. She pushes through the door to find…

_Laughter._

This _woman_ was laughing heartily at Ava’s joke (most likely a pun), her hand holding on to the other’s forearm for support. Okay, Ava’s funny, but she’s not _that_ funny.

Ava’s eyes met Beatrice and immediately clocked her worried expression. “Hey, Bea, what’s up?”

Immediately, she put on her mask. She spent her entire life perfecting _Zen Beatrice_ that it was second nature at this point. “I just remembered we haven’t had lunch. Do you want to head out soon?”

“Sure, I’ll be right there,” Ava said as she turned to face the smiling, clearly enamored lady in front of her. 

As the doors close behind Beatrice, the words “that was Beatrice. She’s a friend,” float behind her, mocking.

-

Two months later, there they are in the quaint summer home they rented just outside Zadar, Croatia as part of their mission.

“What’s your problem?” Ava’s words hung in the air.

“Nothing’s wrong. I just needed to be alone.” A lie, and Ava knows it.

“Do you know that every time I stop seeing someone, it’s because of you?” She is not letting this go. 

“That’s not fair,” Beatrice says in her defense. “I’ve always been supportive of all your relationships, Ava.”

“That’s bullshit--”

“Don’t,” Beatrice interrupts.

“You tolerate them at best!” Ava continues. Her breathing gets increasingly ragged, as if she was trying to control her frustration and focus it. “I might not be as smart as you, but I’m intuitive. Do you know how hard it is to date someone your best friend hates?”

Beatrice looks down in shame. “I’m sorry I made you feel that way.” She means it. But, damn, the term “ _ best friend _ ” hurt though. 

“I value your opinion above anyone else’s, Bea,” Ava’s voice grew softer. “But Teresa is clearly the best person I’ve ever dated. So please… tell me what’s wrong.”

“I’ve just,” she pauses trying to formulate her thoughts as best as she can. “Maybe it took me by surprise. That you’re dating a woman.”

Ava’s fast contorts in confusion and anger. “Is this about  _ religion?” _

“No!” Beatrice shakes her head. God, it isn’t that. She doesn’t want Ava to think that. “No. You know I’m a lesbian, Ava, and I don’t think like that. Not anymore.” Ava tilts her head, still not getting it. “I just didn’t know you liked girls. That’s all.” Beatrice finishes with finality, hoping that would satisfy Ava’s curiousity.

“I’ve always liked girls. Every time we watch Mad Max, I keep saying how hot Charlize Theron is--”

“I know--"

“And I’ve made dozens of similar comments, I’ve just never dated a girl because it’s mostly boys that come up to me,” Ava’s pace increases as she goes on. Her hands get more and more animated, as her eyes plead for some sort of resolution to a problem she couldn’t completely grasp. “But it still doesn’t make sense why you’re so  _ cold _ to her. So what is it, Beatrice? I want a relationship, I want to fall in love with someone who can love me in return, I want to be happy--”

“ _ I _ want you to be happy--”

“But I can’t be happy if you constantly hate everyone that I--”

“I’m jealous!”

Ava stops in shock. Beatrice plops down on the edge of her bed as if the confession takes all the air out of her. It probably did.

“It’s because I’m jealous,” continues Beatrice, eyes looking down. “And no, I’m not jealous  _ of you _ . I’m jealous of everyone who gets to be close to you.” 

Beatrice sees Ava’s feet come into view. Then Ava’s hands on her lap. Then feels her fingers tilting her chin until she has no choice but to look into brown, pleading eyes. “Why?” She whispers.

Beatrice feels tears starting to well. Her mask starts to break. And once it does, there was no way to take it back. Beatrice gazes straight into Ava’s eyes, hoping that she doesn’t have to say more than she needs to. She wants Ava to read into her soul and save her this embarrassment and pain. To say it is to be vulnerable, and to be vulnerable about this would take her to the point of no return. 

“Beatrice. Why?” Ava asks once more.

A tear falls. “You know why,” Beatrice whispers. 

And Ava did. 


	2. In(to) The Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll my b. Life happened. My October is going to be busy but I also promised myself I'd finish the last chapter so I can get a head start on my personal writing projects.
> 
> Hope you enjoy.
> 
> PS: yes. this is the OG Teresa fic. LOL

_You know why._

Ava’s heart clenches at those words. Deep down she knew. She always knew. 

The lingering touches they’ve shared, the secret smiles, that inevitable feeling of light and flight in her chest that she has come to associate with Beatrice’s presence… they have all been signs of this _thing._ This thing that they have both expertly avoided since… since Ava doesn’t even know when. It might have blossomed from the first time they shared a bed when they went into hiding, or when Ava and Beatrice spent an afternoon listening to their favorite songs. It could have even started as early as the first pun Beatrice cracked when they raided the Vatican catacombs. 

But she remembers the only time she acknowledged it out loud before burying it deep down. She remembers, but Beatrice doesn’t. 

\--

Soft music played from the speakers that Ava plugged her (technically the OCS’) phone into. Silence mixed with the heart monitor steadily beeping by Beatrice’s bed was a bit too loud sometimes. She needed music to dull it out. It almost tricked her into thinking that Beatrice was just taking a nap after a long day of training. _Almost._

Her eyes then flicked to the IV bag, the saline solution dripping into the tube that was connected to Beatrice’s right hand. She was a little worse for wear, but alive and out of danger, and for that Ava couldn’t ask for anything more.

They had just defeated Adriel a few days prior with minimal damages… just a few broken ribs, bruised muscles, and exhausted hearts and minds. Beatrice had incurred one of the biggest injuries-- internal bleeding in her abdomen. After surgery and a night in the ICU, Beatrice was transferred to Arq-Tech once she stabilized. Ava had been standing guard ever since. She was often accompanied by one of the other sisters. But today it was just her. 

Ava reached out to brush the bangs out of Beatrice’s eyes. “Your bangs are getting longer. Maybe it’s time we get a haircut. A spa day! I think we deserve it. Put it on the company’s credit card.”

Ava did this a lot. Talk to Beatrice, even when she wasn’t awake. 

The familiar guitar strums of a familiar old song floated in the air. Ava let out a small chuckle once recognition hit. “I’d skip this song since it’s kind of a downer, but I know you like it. Remember the first time I let you listen to it?” 

Ava smiled as she mouthed the lyrics: _Love of mine, someday you will die. But I’ll be close behind. I’ll follow you into the dark._

“You started tearing up after the chorus, saying it was beautiful. Which was crazy at first since it’s not the most Catholic-friendly song out there. But I get it, you know? Loving someone so much that you’d dive into the unknown for them? That’s some deep shit.” Ava gave Beatrice’s hand a squeeze. She continued to nod along to the song as it played. 

_If Heaven and Hell decides that they both are satisfied. Illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs. If there’s no one beside you when your soul embarks. Then I’ll follow into the dark._

“I’ve never been sure of any after life. So this song got to me the first time I heard it on the radio back at St. Michael’s. I just couldn’t imagine jumping into the dark for someone else, though. Especially if I wasn’t… if what happened to me didn’t happen to me.” She looked up at Beatrice. “But I get it now.” 

She had never admitted this out loud, and she still wasn’t sure if she should. Ava observed Beatrice’s deep breathing. She was still fast asleep, and she wasn’t likely to hear all of this. 

Taking a deep breath, Ava decided that maybe this was the right time to take a leap. Even if the object of her affection would never know. 

“I’d jump into the dark for you. I’d do all that and more, if you’d let me.” Ava could feel her eyes starting to sting. It was like a dam was breaking and she had to let it out. 

“But you have your vows, so I’m not sure if that’s all kosher. So uh… maybe the _more_ can just be… in another life if there was one.” This was possibly the first time she ever wished for another life. Or an alternate universe. Maybe in another reality, Beatrice was never a nun and maybe she was never orphaned. Maybe there, they would meet and do more than just Ava hoping to follow her into oblivion. 

But until that universe comes… or until Beatrice tells her otherwise… maybe reverent whispers in hospital rooms were all they could ever be. At this thought, Ava took a moment to place a soft kiss on Beatrice’s cheek as the song fades to a halt. 

\--

“Beatrice…” Ava doesn’t know where to begin. She wants to hold her, to make her believe that this _thing_ between them was never one-sided. She just never thought they could be anything more. So instead of hoping for what she thought was impossible, Ava had decided to try and find love. 

“Beatrice, I--” She’s interrupted by Beatrice rising from her seated position. As she does so, she uses the heel of her palm to wipe the tears from her eyes, and it takes all of Ava’s strength to not pull her into a hug.

“Forgive me, I’ve said too much,” she says as she begins to back away from Ava, heading towards the door. “I’m going to leave now.”

“But, Bea, it’s your room.” Ava says with a slight teasing tone, hoping that will lighten the mood. Yet Beatrice has already opened the door.

“Right, well. Feel free to stay and… read my books.”

And with that Beatrice is gone, leaving Ava alone with her thoughts. Beatrice is jealous. Beatrice loves her. And she… she’s with someone else. 

Ava sinks to the floor, leaning her back against the bed.

“Fuck.” 

\--

Five days. Five long days since Beatrice and Ava had that conversation, and it was the longest they had gone without talking to each other. _Really_ talking to each other. Not to say that Ava didn’t try to reach out to her. She even tried to corner Beatrice by standing in the way of her and the bathroom. She was hoping that maybe blocking her path to urinary relief would force Beatrice to give her the time of day. But her friend was a Goddamn Sister Warrior, and, apparently, could withstand the call of nature for a prolonged amount of time. 

And yes, Ava even threatened to phase her head through the wall while Beatrice was in the bathroom, but one look at Beatrice’s deep brown eyes was enough for her to abandon the mission. Ava is often a stubborn brat, but she knew when to give in. 

The worst part about this distance was, even if Beatrice had closed herself off verbally and emotionally to Ava, she still cared. Ava feels her affection everywhere, every day. 

When Ava wakes in the morning, Beatrice is already gone and won’t likely come back until the end of the day. But on the dining table, there’s breakfast waiting for Ava. In the refrigerator, there are two containers of food-- lunch and dinner-- with a note detailing heating instructions. 

They are still on mission, so Beatrice leaves books for Ava to help dig through, knowing that the latter wants to feel useful. And in between the pile of old books are travel magazines. They aren’t relevant to their research, but Ava likes looking at them, so Beatrice includes them. 

Beatrice replaces the flowers in the vase by the door, because she knows Ava likes floral scents. Beatrice buys chocolate milk right when they are about to run out, despite not being a fan of chocolate, because Ava loves it. She leaves the windows open, despite it being cold, because Ava likes the fresh air. 

Beatrice. She’s always there for Ava… even when she isn’t physically. 

Five days. Five long days. 

Ava accepted on the third day that Beatrice would talk to her when she was ready. On the fifth day, Ava decides she will be ready for Beatrice when it happens. And that means one thing.

\--

_Slap!_

The hand across her face stings. Ava knows she could have phased through that, but she doesn’t. She can at least give her that. 

“I’m sorry,” Teresa says, almost immediately. There’s a hint of true remorse there.

“That’s fine. Did it make you feel better?” Ava asks. Teresa sighs sadly and shakes her head, no. Ava figures as much.

Ava has had her fair share of breakups. She always initiated them too. But she had never truly blindsided anyone with the news. Whenever she would end things… she would spend a week or so dropping hints. She would call less, smile less, talk less. Her relationship with Teresa, on the other hand, was quite honestly going great.

It was going great except for one tiny detail… she isn’t Beatrice. 

Teresa sits on Ava’s bed. Ava takes the tiniest step forward… when her girlfriend-- ex-girlfriend-- doesn’t react, she takes it as a sign that she can sit beside her. She sinks down on the bed and positions her hand on the mattress, just a few inches beside Teresa’s hands. They don’t touch, but she can feel her warmth. 

“I really like you, Teresa. I do.”

“But not like you do her,” Teresa replies. It wasn’t a question. Ava casts her eyes downward, with a pained expression on her face. Ava knows this is the right thing to do but, shit, it doesn’t make it any easier. Breakups suck.

“That’s a no,” she says with less sadness and more finality. Teresa stands, Ava follows suit.

Ava walks Teresa out of her room, through the living room and outside their front door. There is no awkwardness, just a hint of sadness. They stand face to face on the front porch.

Ava breaks the silence first. 

“So are you going back to Spain any time soon?” She asks Teresa. She remembers briefly how they had talked about it being dumb luck that they both called it home and would one day go back. 

“After my thesis, yeah. You?”

“We have a few more places to go. But maybe by the end of the year, if our missions go well.” Teresa merely hums in reply. “Do you think we’ll meet up? Once we’re both there?” 

Teresa purses her lips and gives it a thought. Finally she smiles, “If by then I get a girlfriend hotter than you-- which I will-- then I’ll give you a call.” 

Ava chuckles. She doesn’t doubt it though… The girl in front of her _is_ very pretty, especially underneath this moonlight. Teresa will find someone who loves her, she will. That person just isn’t Ava. 

Teresa grazes her fingers across Ava’s cheek, the one she had hit a few minutes ago. “I’m sorry I hit you,” she apologizes once more.

“It’s ok. Weird thing in my back, remember? It didn’t hurt as much.”

“Damn. Maybe I should’ve slapped you harder,” she jokes. 

Teresa leans in and gives Ava a light peck on the lips. They aren’t friends yet. But maybe they will be. 

As they part and say their goodbyes, they don’t notice that there was a set of eyes, observing them from afar. These eyes are as dark as the country sky right before it rains. The owner of these eyes takes a breath as her heart sinks. 

Beatrice decides right there, as she sees Ava wave wistfully at Teresa’s retreating form, that she is done crying in the dark.


	3. Best Part

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beatrice wants to have a more professional relationship. Ava is a brat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally I'm done!

Beatrice stares at the ceiling as she lays on her bed. After seeing Ava and Teresa kiss, she went straight to her room and has been there in a quiet state being since. She allows herself to feel the quilt blanket beneath her, her fingers running through the textured fabric. She breathes in and out at a steady pace as she listens to the wind blow through the trees outside her window, and the sound of distant traffic.

Beatrice was always good with meditation, at clearing her head or latching on to tasks in order to not let her emotions get the best of her. 

Until Ava.

Since Ava happened, it was getting harder and harder for Beatrice to control her feelings. Until she had no choice but to fall.

That ends tonight, she decides. If they were to continue their partnership and, most importantly, their friendship, Beatrice has to air everything out and make peace with… with what they are, and what they could not be.

Beatrice is in front of Ava’s door and knocks. “Ava, it’s me,” she announces through the door.

_ Thud! _

“Ow”

“Ava, are you okay?”

“Yea! Yeah I’m fine,” a muffled sound comes from inside the room. “I’m just… I was changing.”

“Oh. Well, I could come back if--”

The door opens and she’s greeted by Ava, sleep shorts on backwards, and her shirt inside out while she struggles to put it on.

“Hi, no, don’t leave I’m just trying to…” Ava starts to say as she wrangles the wild tee. 

“Your shirt’s inside out as well, by the way.”

“What?”

Beatrice lets out a half amused, half exasperated breath. “Stay still,” she says as she pulls Ava’s shirt off. She fixes it so it’s as it should. Careful not to let her eyes wander, she looks Ava in the eye and gestures for her to put her hands up. 

As Beatrice helps her, she fights the urge to linger in the moment and avoids as much contact as possible. Once done, she finds Ava’s infuriatingly charming, lopsided grin directed at her.

Beatrice steps back and folds her hands behind her. This is a time for a bit of distance and formality. 

“I came here to talk about what happened the other day and the… implications of what I said.”

Ava doesn’t answer. She just keeps grinning at her with that shit-eating grin of hers, looking at Beatrice as if she held the answer to everything. And it’s annoying as fuck. 

Beatrice clears her throat and continues, “I was out of line. I want to apologize. And I would very much like for us to move on from my… unfortunate confession.”

Ava tilts her heads as Beatrice waits for her reply. The silence is agonizing.

“Do you wanna sit down and listen to some music with me?” Ava finally asks

Beatrice raises an eyebrow. This is not what she expected. “That’s a nice offer,” She begins tentatively, choosing her words wisely. “But… I was hoping we could talk about what happened... and how we can move forward.”

“Yeah! Sure, we can talk but… c’mon Beatrice,” Ava replies, still smiling, to Beatrice’s utter confusion. “Let’s just chill for a sec.”

Beatrice lets out a breath of exasperation, and Ava replies with a chuckle.

“Hey! You owe me after ignoring me,” she challenges. “We haven’t spent time together, and I miss my friend.” 

To this Beatrice has no rebuttal. She did give her the cold shoulder. She ran away from conversations first. So now it’s only fair that she indulges Ava. She’s also what people call… “whipped”. 

And that’s why, minutes later, Beatrice finds herself laying flat on the wooden floors because “it’s the best way to listen to music,” according to Ava. Their heads are mere inches from each other. Beatrice keeps her limbs close, while Ava, with her innate ability to take up space, spreads herself out. Her left pinky grazes Beatrice’s sleep pants. Beatrice keeps her right hand on her torso, and eyes trained at the ceiling. She focuses on the parts of her body that she can control, for she cannot control the beating of her heart. 

They listen to the soft melody coming from Ava’s laptop, and feel the vibrations on the floor from the soundwaves.

It takes a song or two but they start talking. Stilted, at first, but it eventually gets easier. 

They talk about the sisters, and how much they miss them. “I miss Camila’s nettle tea. It’s just better when she makes it,” muses Beatrice.

They talk about places in the world that they’d love to go. “India would be cool,” says Ava. “Do you know they have a holiday where they throw colors at each other?”   
  
“You just want to throw things at people.”

“Yes! And also  _ colors!” _

They talk about the first time they did this in between missions at Cat’s cradle. “I was so appalled when you said you didn’t have a favorite song!” Ava recalls. 

“Music was a skill, never a pastime,” says Beatrice as she defends herself. “But yes, I’m glad you forced me to ‘listen to some lit vibes,’” she adds laughing. 

“You know I read somewhere that if art is how we decorate space, then music is how we decorate time,” Ava shares. 

Beatrice turns her head for the first time tonight to find Ava looking right at her. For a moment she forgets why she hasn’t spent the entire night with this view. “I never thought of it that way. That’s… that’s really beautiful.”   
  
“Uh-huh. Beautiful,” Ava mimics back. Though it’s vague what she’s referring to. 

Beatrice clears her throat. “Did you read that from a book or…?”   
  
“I saw it on Twitter,” Ava says smiling

“Twitter?” Beatrice repeats with a snicker. 

Ava grins wider as she nods to confirm. “Yeah, Twitter.” 

“No, not Twitter!” Beatrice exclaims in laughter as Ava wheezes. She clutches her stomach as she rolls to her side to look at Beatrice fully. Ava takes in a laughing Beatrice who is shaking her head in glee. 

Silence falls on them once more, their eyes finding each other as they come down from that high. Ava lifts her hand. She hesitates for a moment. But as Beatrice continues to look at her with a smile, Ava gathers enough courage to tuck a strand of hair behind Beatrice’s ear. “I really like sharing decorated time with you,” Ava says softly. 

They stay like that for a moment. Just a moment. But Beatrice’s mind, like it always does, starts to catch on… questioning and analyzing everything. She registers the tail end of the song that’s been playing. It was a familiar acoustic song and a man singing about being “better when we’re together”. She quickly recalls the songs that they’ve been listening to. 

_ Love songs.  _

They were all love songs.

Beatrice breaks eye contact and rises from her spot. Ava looks up in surprise, confused by the sudden end of their moment. 

“It’s getting late,” Beatrice says as she walks towards the door and Ava scrambles up after her. “We’ll talk about the, um, incident tomorrow.” 

“Hey, Beatrice, wait,” Ava calls out as Beatrice reaches for the doorknob. Ava grabs her opposing wrist. She holds on to her with steady pressure. 

Beatrice spins around to look at her. Her eyebrows furrowed, lips pursed.

“Ava. Earlier this week I told you I had romantic feelings for you.” She says using her businesslike tone. The one that lacked any sentimentality or emotion.

“Yep,” Ava smirks despite Beatrice’s lack of emotion.  _ What a brat _ , Beatrice can’t help but think.

“And then I promptly ignored you for five days before apologizing.”

“Yeah. Yeah, you did.” 

“And instead of talking about the incident, you invite me to listen to a playlist of romantic songs.” Ava is still smiling. Beatrice can’t believe she still has that stupid grin on her face. 

Ava shrugs. “I thought it would be a nice way to spend time together.” 

Beatrice lets out a breath of frustration. “Ava, you are the most dense and infuriating person I’ve ever had the displeasure of--” 

“Oh my God I love this song!” Ava exclaims as the next song plays. She sways on the heels of her feet as an acoustic ballad, a song with nothing but guitar strings and clear voices, plays. 

_ “Ava,”  _ Beatrice says in a warning tone. She almost sounds like Mother Superion, Ava thinks, and she doesn’t know why… but it’s kinda hot. 

_ “Beatrice,”  _ she mimics her tone.

Beatrice replies with her hands crossed against her chest. Ava stops swaying. “Alright, alright. Well, what do you want us to do?” she asks. 

Beatrice pauses. What  _ does _ she want to do? She never actually thought through that. She just wants whatever it is between them to stop. To stop consuming her every waking moment. 

“I want us to be more professional with each other,” she says finally. 

“Ok,” Ava nods. “But what about your romantic feelings for me?”

“In time it will fade,” she says. It sounded more like a wish than a statement of fact.

Ava considers this for a moment, her fingers on her chin as she thinks. “So if… we’re going to be more professional with each other… would it be an HR violation if I ask you to dance to this song?” 

Beatrice narrows her eyes at Ava. She’s on very thin ice here.

“Come on  _ Sister Beatrice _ ,” Ava says as she offers her hand. “Just one last dance before you want to go all corporate on me.” 

“You’re so annoying,” Beatrice says but she takes the offered hand anyway. It was often hard to say no to her. Ava puts her hand on Beatrice’s shoulder as Beatrice rests hers on her partner’s hip. Beatrice puts as much distance between them as possible.

_ You’re the best part… Oh, you’re the best part _ … sings the woman on the track as they sway softly.

Ava smirks when she notices that Beatrice works extra hard to avoid any eye contact. 

“It’s too bad you want us to be all professional.” 

“And why’s that?” 

“Because I broke up with Teresa.” 

Beatrice finally looks at her at that confession. She takes a good look at Ava. It doesn’t seem like she’s joking. Her heart starts to beat faster as all the air seems to escape her lungs. 

“Oh,” she says, words escaping her at the moment.

“And,” Ava continues with a sly smile, “I was thinking of… you know… finding a new girlfriend. I was hoping you would help me, but I don’t know if that’s what  _ professional co-workers _ do.” Beatrice studies her. There’s hope in Ava’s eyes. Somewhere along the way, they stopped swaying. Time stands still as an unspoken question hangs in the air.

_ If you love me won’t you say something… If you love me won’t you...  _ sings a male voice. 

Oh.  _ Oh.  _

It’s Beatrice’s turn to smile now. “And where are we going to find you a new girlfriend then?” 

“You know the saying ‘sometimes what you’re looking for is right in front of you’? Well. I thought we should start there.” 

Somehow they’re now closer to each other, their bodies only centimeters apart. 

“You are absolutely infuriating,” Beatrice says as her eyes dip to Ava’s lips. 

“I take offense to that. But you’re forgiven if you let me kiss you.” They’re impossibly close now. 

“Is that my only option?” Beatrice teases. 

“Ok, now  _ you’re _ being annoy--” Beatrice interrupts Ava by closing the distance between them. She tastes of peppermint toothpaste and warmth. Beatrice’s hands wrap around Ava’s waist as she feels hands caress her cheek and the back of her neck. Ava smiles into the kiss and Beatrice just keeps holding her, her hands dipping beneath her shirt, fingers caressing the small of her back. 

Beatrice lets herself get lost in the feel of Ava. Her hair tickling her cheek. Their tongues slowly getting acquainted with the other’s mouth. Their hands gently imploring. 

They soon part. Yet they keep standing, their foreheads touching. 

“You’re a really good kisser for a nun,” Ava says. 

“A nun… Well, I might not be for very long if you keep kissing me.” 

“I have no plans of stopping for as long as you’ll let me.” Ava presses their lips once more to make a point. “I’m not going anywhere. You and me? We’re endgame. It’s in this life and the next.” 

“I believe you. Now be quiet and let me continue breaking my vows.” 

Ava obliges as Beatrice kisses her again, and again, and again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think y'all might have expected more angst with how I finished the last chapter. But nah! I wanted it to be lighter.
> 
> Also "If art is how we decorate space, music is how we decorate time"... I really did see that on Twitter. But apparently the originator of it is Jean-Michel Basquiat. lol.  
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed!


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